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The Mike Lull Club Part 4

#2,961
Drkwdsman said:
I picked up a Lull just to try one out, but it has not wowed me. I currently stick with the Roscoe and the Laklands. So price point and no "Wow" factor to pull those sales away from a Fender or Music Man. I mean it's light, but so are the rest of mine.
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I don't think of a Lull as a "wow" kind of bass - and I think I know what you mean by this...there have been some instruments, e.g. a fancy Roscoe or MTD, that I've picked up and had that sort of reaction. But for strapping on and rocking on a stage...often with a pick... for hours, these kinds of basses never worked for me too well.

As you know, the Lull is a Fender-style instrument with a higher quality build. Usually no fancy tops or unique designs...just a really well-made tool to rock the house. What sets it apart to me are its dimensions and killer action.

Sadowsky and Lakland make a great product too, but I prefer Lull dimensions and action. Oh yeah, and as you mention, they are light weight usually, which is an absolute must for me these days.
 
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#2,962
CaptainWally said:
I don't think of a Lull as a "wow" kind of bass - and I think I know what you mean by this...there have been some instruments, e.g. a fancy Roscoe or MTD, that I've picked up and had that sort of reaction. But for strapping on and rocking on a stage...often with a pick... for hours, these kinds of basses never worked for me too well.

As you know, the Lull is a Fender-style instrument with a higher quality build. Usually no fancy tops or unique designs...just a really well-made tool to rock the house. What sets it apart to me are its dimensions and killer action.

Sadowsky and Lakland make a great product too, but I prefer Lull dimensions and action. Oh yeah, and as you mention, they are light weight usually, which is an absolute must for me these days.
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Absolutely. I changed strings and ready to rock the P5 on stage tonight at church. But still might put in a preamp for my tastes.
 
#2,963
Holdsg said:
I had one, but alas sold it. does not your bridge allow for string-thru as well as top load? Also, how can strings be too long? sure, you end up cutting off more than you'd like since you paid for a longer string, but they will still work, no?
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To my knowledge, the silk at the top shouldn't extend below the nut and especially with the E string, you shouldn't wind the metal of the flat wound - just the silk - around the tuners or they deteriorate.
 
#2,965
I've got a question for Lull 5-string P or PJ users. Could you please play your B string up above the 7th fret, front pickup only if you have more than one, and compare it to the timbre of the other strings? What do you hear?

This is my problem:

I've always had the same experience with a low B and a P pickup (a little less so with Kaliums): it sounds timbrally different than the other strings -- more "hollow"--once I get up the neck, even by the 7th fret. Of course by the 12th you get weird overtones and stuff but they don't matter a whole lot in a mix. If I run the J pickup, no problem. Super even. I have adjusted the pickup every which way. Just installed a Lawrence P46, which sounds amazing in a different way from the Lull pickup, but has the same issue no matter whether I'm close to the string or distant from it.

As an experiment, I put the same B-string on on my parts 4-string bass with a SB-2 pickup (split coil but MFD), and it has the same problem. So that's 3 pickups now. I put the B string on my G&L L2000 and the front pickup gives none of these issues. Hmmm.

Is it something about a split coil pickup vs jazz single coils or soapbar style humbuckers?

As long as I stay low on the B string it's not an issue, but one of the things I like is the two octave spread higher up. Thanks for any wisdom you can offer.

My bass is a 35" scale M5V modded to be a PJ. I don't remember this issue with the J pickups, but that was awhile ago.

Thanks for any suggestions. I have tried lots of different B strings.
 
#2,966
JES said:
I've got a question for Lull 5-string P or PJ users. Could you please play your B string up above the 7th fret, front pickup only if you have more than one, and compare it to the timbre of the other strings? What do you hear?

This is my problem:

I've always had the same experience with a low B and a P pickup (a little less so with Kaliums): it sounds timbrally different than the other strings -- more "hollow"--once I get up the neck, even by the 7th fret. Of course by the 12th you get weird overtones and stuff but they don't matter a whole lot in a mix. If I run the J pickup, no problem. Super even. I have adjusted the pickup every which way. Just installed a Lawrence P46, which sounds amazing in a different way from the Lull pickup, but has the same issue no matter whether I'm close to the string or distant from it.

As an experiment, I put the same B-string on on my parts 4-string bass with a SB-2 pickup (split coil but MFD), and it has the same problem. So that's 3 pickups now. I put the B string on my G&L L2000 and the front pickup gives none of these issues. Hmmm.

Is it something about a split coil pickup vs jazz single coils or soapbar style humbuckers?

As long as I stay low on the B string it's not an issue, but one of the things I like is the two octave spread higher up. Thanks for any wisdom you can offer.

My bass is a 35" scale M5V modded to be a PJ. I don't remember this issue with the J pickups, but that was awhile ago.

Thanks for any suggestions. I have tried lots of different B strings.
Click to expand...

Have you checked your pickup height? B-strings have more mass to them, and close (or even not so close) proximity to the pickup magnets can actually hinder the free vibration of the string. The magnetic field surrounding the pickup can actually exert enough force to make the string vibrate strangely. That can manifest itself as a "hollow" or "warbly" sound. Sometimes it sounds like multiple pitches coming simultaneously from the one string.

You might want to try dropping the pickup down into the body quite a bit and see if the problem goes away. If it does, then bring the pickup back up a little bit at a time until you find the height where it starts warbling. Then put it back down a smidge.
 
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#2,967
RocketMusic said:
Have you checked your pickup height? B-strings have more mass to them, and close (or even not so close) proximity to the pickup magnets can actually hinder the free vibration of the string. The magnetic field surrounding the pickup can actually exert enough force to make the string vibrate strangely. That can manifest itself as a "hollow" or "warbly" sound. Sometimes it sounds like multiple pitches coming simultaneously from the one string.

You might want to try dropping the pickup down into the body quite a bit and see if the problem goes away. If it does, then bring the pickup back up a little bit at a time until you find the height where it starts warbling. Then put it back down a smidge.
Click to expand...

+1 to this. I've had the same experience, and cleaned things up by lowering the pickup on the B string side. Too much magnetic pull if it's too close to the string.
 
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#2,969
I think that's just the nature of the beast. All the other strings have that too, but it's just way more pronounced in the lower register that the B-string is in. I bet the thickness of the string plays a part too.

I have only one model bass that this is not as much a problem with, and that is the long scale Dingwall. With a B-string that's 37", it is much more playable and even sounding up the neck. I attribute that to the extra scale length.
 
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#2,970
Drkwdsman said:
I picked up a Lull just to try one out, but it has not wowed me. I currently stick with the Roscoe and the Laklands. So price point and no "Wow" factor to pull those sales away from a Fender or Music Man. I mean it's light, but so are the rest of mine.
Click to expand...
Hi @Drkwdsman@yahoo
Can you describe what "wow" is to you?
Roscoe can be quite aggresive and I like them, my signature bass is quite aggressive. You should try one out.
 
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#2,971
TonyP- said:
Hi @Drkwdsman@yahoo
Can you describe what "wow" is to you?
Click to expand...

jtdblneck1.jpg
 
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#2,973
Drkwdsman said:
I am thinking I just prefer active basses and the P5 just doesn't do it for me.
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Makes sense
A passive P5 would not work for me (%99.9) of the time, so I get that.

My bass and most of my Lulls use an active BART pre, with my pickups wired in series...Very full and active sounding. :thumbsup:
 
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#2,974
JES said:
I've got a question for Lull 5-string P or PJ users. Could you please play your B string up above the 7th fret, front pickup only if you have more than one, and compare it to the timbre of the other strings? What do you hear?

This is my problem:

I've always had the same experience with a low B and a P pickup (a little less so with Kaliums): it sounds timbrally different than the other strings -- more "hollow"--once I get up the neck, even by the 7th fret. Of course by the 12th you get weird overtones and stuff but they don't matter a whole lot in a mix. If I run the J pickup, no problem. Super even. I have adjusted the pickup every which way. Just installed a Lawrence P46, which sounds amazing in a different way from the Lull pickup, but has the same issue no matter whether I'm close to the string or distant from it.

As an experiment, I put the same B-string on on my parts 4-string bass with a SB-2 pickup (split coil but MFD), and it has the same problem. So that's 3 pickups now. I put the B string on my G&L L2000 and the front pickup gives none of these issues. Hmmm.

Is it something about a split coil pickup vs jazz single coils or soapbar style humbuckers?

As long as I stay low on the B string it's not an issue, but one of the things I like is the two octave spread higher up. Thanks for any wisdom you can offer.

My bass is a 35" scale M5V modded to be a PJ. I don't remember this issue with the J pickups, but that was awhile ago.

Thanks for any suggestions. I have tried lots of different B strings.
Click to expand...
I have a 35" PJ but don't have an active balance knob (disconnected) and wired in series, so I cannot check just the P pickup.
I'm running GHS Progressives .126 and do not have any issue.
 
#2,978
Killens84 said:
What's the fix to a scratchy volume pot? I'm hearing it from one of my P4's, when turning the volume knob.
Click to expand...

Keep doing that is sometimes enough. You basically get some oxidation (crusty stuff) on the pot, and you have to get it off. Simply turning the knob 30-50 times through that scratchy part will often take care of the problem. If not, then you'll want to get a can of deoxit (or whatever contact cleaner) and spray that into the pot and do some more turning.

FWIW - I recently had to do this on my P4 as well. I could hear the chunks of stuff fall off inside the pot, it took me quite a bit of turning to work it all down to dust.

In the worst case scenario, you can't get rid of it and you just have to replace the pot.
 
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#2,980
Well I said I'd post pics...
0C67B8B5-27B3-4F63-880D-4478A35C86F1.jpeg
E0EA8DCF-B7D9-49BF-B483-DF7A404ACF13.jpeg

I got the rosewood board one off Reverb, figure I'll get it refinished eventually, but in real life the finish is pretty nice, so no rush. Also has the passive tone control, and the stock SD p/u's, which is a pretty sweet set up. And the now discontinued Lull G&G ohsc, which I love the blue velvet inside.

Glad these aren't as hyped up as some other basses, so I can afford 'em, but dang, they are sweet instruments.

And they are both 35" scale, don't let the gap in the couch cushions fool you ;)
 
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